Prize Time

Jacob should be discharged in a few hours and we can then leave all the 4 day hospital stays behind us! He is receiving blood and hydration right now; this is the first time after receiving this cocktail that he has not needed an automatic blood transfusion on discharge day. But because his Hemoglobin is hovering just above the transfusion number (his is at 8.2 right now, they typically transfuse when it hits under 8, though it isn't "automatic" unless it is 7 or under) they decided to just go ahead and transfuse him to boost his numbers so that hopefully we won't have to return to the hospital later this week as his numbers start to drop. Once that is finished we will be heading for home.

Jacob just had a blast playing TV Bingo with the Child Life workers here. They are on the tv and Jacob fills in his Bingo card and calls on the phone if he gets Bingo. He won one trivia question, "What dance can be done on a trampoline" by answering "Bunny Hop". While the real answer was "Hip Hop" they gave him the prize because it was a good answer too! He then won on the Bingo Blackout game and when I wondered aloud what the prize was he said "To get to go home early!" It was a funny and sad answer at the same time - but no worries since we will be out of here in a few hours and won't have to return for another three weeks.

Fast Food

One of the many dilemmas of hospital stays is food. It's just plain difficult finding good food to eat in the hospital. The cafeteria has a variety of foods, but not many healthy ones and the prices are outrageous. There are some stores around the hospital but I can't just up and leave whenever I need something to eat.

4 days of being away from home equals 12 meals. I first started by bringing the Hormel Complete meals as a way to save money and have food on hand. I'm sorry for being honest, but those meals taste (and smell) like dog food. The next stay I brought frozen meals, which were a bit better but a bit inconvenient as well as not very nutritious.

Don't get me wrong, I bring the basics with me from home: yogurt, nuts, cheese sticks, granola bars, and other foods that travel well but I need some nutritious filling foods as well and the cafeteria, pre-packaged, frozen foods just weren't cutting it. Then I remembered MaryJane's Farm food and browsed the website only to realize that I had been missing out all along. The food is often advertised for backpackers and campers as it can be made directly in the pouch by pouring in boiling water. This would be perfect for making meals where only a microwave was available for cooking.

I ordered several meals. While it is a bit more expensive than I would normally spend on a meal (around $5), it is not a daily purchase for myself and I feel better, health wise, while eating healthy food in the hospital instead of greasy, fattening, junk food. It was worth it to me. The meals are organic and packed full of nutrients. They are easy for me to make; I bring a glass measuring cup along to the hospital, heat the water in the microwave, pour it in the pouch and close and within minutes I have a healthy meal.

This evening I enjoyed the Creamy Potato Soup with a few saltine crackers from the hospital drawer and a plate full of celery and sliced peppers that I brought from home. Tomorrow I plan to try the Bare Burrito, which looks delicious. I can not forget to mention the mouth watering chocolate that they have. I splurged on a Milk Inspired Collection and bring one bar of chocolate per hospital visit as a treat; this visit being the last bar. It is divine and I savor every bit of it - and the adorable post cards that come with it is a great addition!

I am in no way getting paid to mention these products. As a matter of fact, MaryJane's Farm is unaware that I am posting this. I am just sharing a product that I like and that may come in handy for those of you who want fast (yet healthy!) food on the go.

ZAZA Couture Winners

Winners of the ZAZA Couture dresses were chosen by Random.org and are #14 and #8, which are:

Lee said: I tweeted about it.

and

Lindsey said: Aquamarine is my favorite.

Please e-mail me at babys_mama1 "at" yahoo.com with your address! And thank you to everyone who entered - there are a few more giveaways coming up!

Cancer and Clutter Update

This week has been a fairly normal one. Since Jacob has had an extra week without chemo (since his platelets were too low last week) he has gained a bit more energy and is feeling more like himself this week. We are heading off soon to get his labs and will wait to see if everything is high enough for a 4 day hospital stay this weekend. If so, this will be the last 4 day stay on our schedule! Yay! Just a few more rounds of chemo and he will be finished...I'm anxious to get it all behind us!

This week I have been preparing for a garage sale that my mom will be having towards the end of the month. Just last night I was able to fill a box with shoes and toys - proving that we have too much of both! We dropped a garbage bag full of donation off yesterday. I have packed several boxes for ThredUp this week and have already mailed several out. It helps that they now have a new program for the top 500 threaders where you get paid $15 per box that you send out and get a 3/4 star review on. That extra money would come in handy so I've been packing as many boxes as possible since the program may last only a few weeks. It's an incentive to clear things out, that's for sure! How has your clutter control been going?

Memories and Berries

What says 4th of July better than a bowl full of warm black raspberries freshly picked from your Grandma's woods?!
It was a tradition to spend the 4th of July at her house. Incidentally, the berries were always ripe for the picking that day too so I remember my fair share of fresh raspberries picked and popped directly into the mouth each year. It took some debating on whether or not to go to her house this year for raspberry picking but I finally decided that she wouldn't have wanted them to go to waste.

The kids had a blast picking the berries and Becca seemed to eat more than she put in the bowl. Jacob and Ben disappeared into the woods and came back 45 minutes later with the bowl filled. I basked on the front porch, blissful in the fact that I know the house and the woods will stay in the family since my younger brother put his offer in this week. It is magical up there! The only sad part of the trip was when Joe ran around to the back door and started knocking and waiting for my Grandma to open the door. He kept asking me "Grandma home?"

After stuffing ourselves with fresh berries, Joe and I made this delicious treat, which was quickly gobbled up too. I think that the berries will continue to be a yearly tradition now; for that I am thankful.

Cute? No, Adorable!

You all know by now that I love children's clothing! Boys are fun to dress but one of the best thing about having a girl is all the adorable clothing to choose from! Not only do I like clothing but Becca loves it! Ever since she was able to dress herself she showed an interest in clothing. She likes to sort through her storage bins of clothing and help me organize them. She holds items up to herself, she tries things on, she mixes and matches outfits.

We both share a passion for clothing. We both especially like "girly" outfits and bright colors. Wild designs and crazy patterns. Imagine our delight when ZAZA Couture sent a dress to be reviewed. The clothing that ZAZA Couture makes matches our style to a "T". I could start drooling when I look at the clothing on their site! Their clothing, by the way, can be found at several specialty boutiques across the US or at different internet boutiques.

The dress they sent to be reviewed is from the Summer 2011 collection "Hummingbird". It is cute, stylish, and BRIGHT - I love bright clothing for children! The clothing is well made and the material is excellent - lightweight for summer but quality. Becca oohed and ahhed as she opened up the package and saw her dress and she instantly wanted to try it on. She fluttered and danced around - quite like a hummingbird! It is a very eye catching dress and has quickly become a favorite in this house.

Do you have a daughter nearing size 4? A granddaughter? A friend with a daughter? ZAZA Couture has so graciously sent me two brand new dresses for a giveaway, which means that TWO readers will have the chance to win a dress in size 4 for their daughter! It will be a surprise which one I send to which winner! :)

In order to enter you must go to ZAZA Couture and click on the Fall/Winter 2011 button on the top of their site. Find your favorite fall group which you would be most likely to buy (the groups are all named after precious gems this season - LOVE IT!). Then head down to the bottom of their website and "Like" them on Facebook - leaving a comment on their Facebook page of which fall group is your favorite. Come back here and leave the same comment that you left on their Facebook page. It's that simple!

But wait, there is more! If you would like additional entries, you can 1. twitter the link to this post 2. Link back to this post on your Facebook, and 3. post about this giveaway on your blog. For EACH additional entry that you do please leave an additional comment below. That gives you up to 4 entries into this giveaway.

Winners will be chosen through Random.org on Saturday, July 9th. Good luck!

Refreshing Morning

It has been hot the past few days. When it's hot I get crabby, tired, and not so hungry. The not so hungry part is probably good for me but it's not because I don't feel like cooking so often rely on quick or take out foods. That is, until I start to get back to the basics and rely on God's good thinking.

God made vegetables and fruits in season during the warm months for a reason. They can be eaten raw which requires no cooking, they are cool which in turn cools us off, and they are easy to digest. Summer time is the easiest in which to try a raw diet. I'm not on a raw diet but we are eating an abundance of fruits and vegetables. A whole watermelon is often eaten as part of our lunch, a big salad fills us up, popcorn and sliced fruits and vegetables are a perfect summer "meal" for us.

My hot oatmeal breakfasts have fallen to the wayside and yet I've found a new favorite for breakfast.
Yogurt parfaits! A cup of yogurt (preferably Greek yogurt), whatever fruit we have on hand (whether fresh or frozen), a sprinkle or two of granola, and a Tablespoon of chia seed. This is refreshing, delicious, and healthy!

Chia Seed was a staple of the Mayans and Aztecs. It was a highly important part of their lives - they would take it on their long hunts to sustain them (supposedly just one tablespoon of the seed could sustain them for 24 hours), it was used for medical purposes (joint pain, skin conditions), and was even used as currency.

It's now easy to see why this seed was so favored that long ago. It has more antioxidants than even blueberries and has the highest content of Omega-3. We hear so much about flax seed but chia seed has more health benefits.

They can be eaten raw and do not need to be ground up. I find that they have no taste whatsoever (though they are crunchy little things!) but some say they have a nutty flavor. These seeds are a powerhouse of nutrition and take little effort to consume: sprinkle them on yogurt, salads, cereal, in baked goodies. Some people even absorb them in water until it turns into a gel like consistency and eat that for a quick energy boost, something that I plan to try soon. I've noticed that since eating chia seeds I have not had the problem of dry eyes like I had been having...the Omega-3 can help produce more lubrication for your eyes.

The chia shots are all the rage now for on the go nutrition but I stick with buying it by the bag. I use the Spectrum Essentials Chia Seed, which I find at our local health food store, but I see that Amazon has it for a bit cheaper than that even.